Four Boys, One Map
by greysky3
Summary: "Lily Evans, will you go out with me?" "No." "What?" "No. Negative. I do not wish to. I decline your offer." "But—but—you're madly in love with me!" "Keep dreaming, Potter."
1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure, Padfoot?" Remus asked worriedly. Sirius did not stop scribbling furiously, bent over a piece of parchment.

"Don't worry, it'll be a laugh," said Sirius, shrugging his friend off. Remus frowned and fingered his prefect badge. Though it was only early in the year, he felt he had failed in his duty. He had let his friends go through with crazy plans that broke a dozen rules a go.

"How's this: '_Dear James, I've always noticed you but I've been too scared to admit my feelings. I'm sorry I insult you; I always panic and backtrack. You may not love me anymore after this. I understand. But I do love you, and hope you will forgive me. Please meet me sometime this evening in the Common Room. Love, Lily_,'" Sirius ended with a girlish sigh.

"Hmm," said Remus, not wanting to openly approve.

"Oh come on, stop being the good boy for once. Live a little," Sirius said, straightening up and rolling the parchment into a scroll.

* * *

Lily only had a foot to go in her Transfiguration essay. She lifted her quill and yawned. What year was it in that they had first begun to use Transfiguration? She picked up her copy of_ A History of Magic_, and began flipping the pages until she reached the page she had marked down.

She started writing again, this time with more certainty. _Humans were Transfigured into cats by wizards in ancient Egyptian times. Wizards were anxious to do so, believing that being cats would grant them higher power. Cats were venerated because they were often confused with Kneazles, a similar magical creature. The first examples of human Transfiguration were incomplete, only resulting in changing their heads into animals. This resulted in the Muggles of the time believing these wizards to be gods, and otherwise—_

"Hey, Evans."

Lily looked up, startled, to see James Potter standing over her. She looked back down at her essay, and saw she'd made an inkblot.

"What?" she asked irritably, tapping the spot with her wand until it was clean again.

"I know it must be hard for you," said James. Lily was forced to look up.

"Yes, with you interrupting all the time," said Lily, her thoughts still on her essay.

"Well, I know how you feel."

"Oh do you? Really?" asked Lily sardonically.

"Lily Evans, will you go out with me?"

"No."

"What?"

"No. Negative. I do not wish to. I decline your offer."

"But—but—you're madly in love with me!"

"Keep dreaming, Potter."

"You said so in that letter!"

"WILL YOU LET ME FINISH MY ESSAY?" Lily finally shouted.

A flash and some smoke drowned out anything James could have said after that. A few second-years scurried off, holding their enchanted camera. James frowned.

"Fine," he said, more to himself because Lily was already scratching away with her quill again.

! #$%^&*

James woke late that morning, and marched out of the common room, yawning. The other Gryffindors had gone down to breakfast already, but James wasn't in much of a hurry, since he had a free hour that morning.

Sirius, Remus, and Peter were already waiting at the table.

"Morning," James muttered.

"WILL YOU LET ME FINISH MY ESSAY?" Sirius shouted, making James jump. All three boys roared in laughter, while James simply crossed his arms.

"How did you know about that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, the whole school knows," Remus said breezily.

"WHAT?" James spluttered, choking on pumpkin juice.

Wormtail giggled and handed James a piece of parchment. On it was printed a picture of Lily screaming at James, while James recoiled over and over.

Underneath was a huge headline, "WILL YOU LET ME FINISH MY ESSAY, JAMES?"

The rest of the parchment had an article explaining in detail what had happened.

"Those second years…" James growled. "You're a prefect, Moony, can't you just expel them?"

"That's not how it works, Prongs," said Remus. He calmly took a bite of his toast.

"Well, I have to save my honor," James said stubbornly.

* * *

"Three… two… one…" James whispered, and Peter transformed into a rat. The other three watched as he scurried on the floor of the common room, unnoticed.

He started to climb the armchair that held one of the second years. Wormtail disappeared into the neck of the boy's robes.

The shrieking started and James fell over laughing with Sirius. James had to wipe away tears before he could get up again. He walked over to the writhing second year, and yanked away his friend's camera. James snapped the picture vindictively.

"Go!" he shouted. He saw the rat crawl away and up into their dormitories. James followed Peter, running upstairs. It wasn't long before Sirius and Remus had joined them.

"That was great," Padfoot said. Wormtail took a modest bow.

"I can see the headlines for tomorrow," James announced. "GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!"

They all burst into another round of fresh laughter.

* * *

**Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

James entered the Heads' Common Room to find Lily Evans, sobbing on a couch. In her hands was a Muggle book. She was holding it tightly against her chest. James knew she was a bookworm, but to cry over one?

He slowly edged over to where she was sitting. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Th-this book," she sobbed.

"It's enchanted?"

"N-no, it's just s-so sad," she said, crying even harder.

James decided to try his luck. He sat next to her and pulled her into a hug. For once, she didn't start screaming or firing hexes. She just leaned into him and soaked his shirt. Not that he minded.

"What's so sad?"

"Th-the main character dies, a-and her biggest regret was not to give him a chance! And n-now he's dead!"

James nodded, pretending to very much understand her distress. Lily hiccuped and seemed to calm down. He sighed and let her go. Lily looked at James with her tear-stained green eyes.

He had tried so hard, and she'd never even given him a chance, even when he'd changed so much. And now with the war, she didn't know how long she was going to live, if she did decide to fight Voldemort.

She remembered a line from her book. Life's short, might as well live it now.

James stood up and made his way to his bedroom. "James!" she said, surprising herself by calling him by his first name. She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Want to go to Hogsmeade?"

James's eyes went wide and he seemed not to understand. Lily hoped he would answer already, before she got her sanity back.

A smile lit up his face. "Sure, Lily."

He walked up calmly and then silently celebrated, jumping up and down and whisper-screaming "Yes!"

He ran to his trunk to fish out his mirror. "Sirius," he said.

Padfoot's face appeared. "Hey, mate."

"You will not believe what just happened. I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank Merlin for books."


	3. Chapter 3

Tap, tap.

Lily groaned in her sleep.

Tap, tap, tap.

"Lily, get your owl," Marlene McKinnon mumbled.

There was another tap, and Lily decided she couldn't ignore it anymore. Eyes still closed, she groped around the window sill, looking for the latch. She opened the window and waited for the familiar peck of her owl's beak.

Instead, a hand grabbed hers. Lily shrieked and jumped, falling off her bed. "Morning, love."

Lily opened one tired eye and saw a figure on a broomstick. "James," she sighed.

"You missed breakfast," he said. He handed her a basket that smelled delicious.

"Oh, the girls and I stayed up late," she said, setting down the basket and clambering back onto her bed.

She propped herself up on her elbows, the sunlight hurting her eyes a little but the sight of James making up for it.

"See you at the Qudditch match. Wear my lucky scarf," he said, leaning in for a quick kiss then zooming off on his broom with a wave.

Of course, Lily turned around to have her silly grin wiped off by the sight of four girls gawping at her.

"What?" she demanded.

"You're dating James Potter?" asked Hestia incredulously.

"Yeah, I am," she said defiantly. They gaped at her silently.

"You're so lucky," Marlene finally said.

"I know," said Lily simply.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey," mumbled Mary. Remus looked up, startled.

"Er, hi," he said. He smiled awkwardly and picked up his books.

"I have class," said Mary.

"Oh, right, me too."

They parted ways hurriedly. James intercepted Remus on the way to Potions. "What was that?" James asked, outraged.

"What?"

"You were flirting about as well as a mountain troll!"

Remus rolled his eyes.

"You should be more assertive, talk to her more," said James.

"That's rich coming from you, how's that approach working on Evans?"

"Just let me teach you the ways of the master."

"No."

"Do it."

"Okay."

! #$%^&*

"Mary!" Lily gasped.

"What, Lily? You sound like I've committed a crime," said Mary, exasperated.

"Practically! Remus fancies you, and you're a perfect match. Give him a chance!"

"I don't see you giving Potter a chance."

"I will if you give Remus one."

"Deal!" Mary squealed, thinking of all the bets she would win.

"Right, you need to stop being so shy, first of all..."

! #$%^&*

"Hey, Mary," said Remus. He sat down beside her. The courtyard was empty, except for Lily, who was watching her whole plan play out.

"Aw," said Lily, and another deeper voice. She jumped. "Potter?" she whispered viciously.

He put a finger to his lips and pointed at the two.

"Hey, Remus. Nice night, isn't it?" said Mary with a pre-rehearsed giggle.

"Even better with you in it. You look beautiful."

"You look.. er.. oh, bloody hell, I give up!" said Mary, standing up. "Sorry Remus, but this was rehearsed."

"Really? Me too!'' said Remus happily.

"It was Lily!"

"James made me."

"My friends are always telling me off for being so shy..."

"Me too! They say I should stop reading to enjoy social life..."

"And that if I spend my time shut up by myself drawing..."

"I'll never get a girlfriend," finished Remus. They both sat down.

"Isn't that adorable?" whispered Potter.

"I know. I had to tell her I'd give you a chance to get her to-" Lily covered her mouth.

"Did you?" asked James, a small smile on his lips.

"Oh, why'd I have to tell you," moaned Lily.

"You just know we're the perfect couple. Lily Evans, will you be my girlfriend?''

"Only because I have to."

"If you say so." Lily shot him a half-glare, half-smile. James thought he was off to a good start.

* * *

**A/N: I try to write some other pairing, and it somehow circles back to Jily. Well.  
**

**(But tell me, aren't they adorable?)**


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